Top 10 international destinations Indians are flocking to this summer

New destinations and interest based travel are on the rise as Indians are getting drawn to places further than they have ever been to.

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Samonway Duttagupta

May 27, 2016

UPDATED: May 27, 2016 15:59 IST

View of the gulf of Porto in the French island of Corsica. Photo: Reuters

The summers are here, and an international trip is one of the first things an average urban Indian thinks of this season. And why not? We all spend an entire year waiting for the perfect time to go on a well-deserved holiday.

But we also realise that going on that long-awaited holiday is not as simple as it seems to be. Before anything else, you end up spending a lot of time wondering where to go. In order to make things simpler for you, we have spoken to some of the leading players in the travel industry. And we really hope you are able to zero down on your choice by the end of this piece.

Travelling like a localFrom the data we have gathered, one of the most interesting observations that we have made is that the modern Indian traveller is no more keen on being the regular tourist. He wants to blend in and become one with the local culture. He wants to prepare his own route and drive the distance, walk the bylanes, interact with the locals, sample the authentic cuisine and stay like a citizen does. In short, he wants to experience how it feels to live in that place. Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia India comments, "Indians are evolving as travellers and seeking novel experiences beyond the regular holidays that are just a tick in the box. The emerging neo-travellers want to explore unknown places, breathtaking landscapes and mingle with the locals to experience the place in its true sense and beauty. The peace, serenity and experience provided by these places are next to none."

Taking a similar stand on this trend, Ratti Dhodapkar, MD, Abercrombie & Kent says, "Indians are now more curious than ever, and want to experience the local life of the people belonging to the particular country. Understanding their culture, tradition and customs is now beginning to be an important part of the Indian traveller's experience."

The paradigm shiftThe quest for offbeat travel experiences are drawing Indians further than they have ever been. Focus have shifted from the run-on-the-mill destinations such as Bali, Thailand, Bangkok, Singapore and moved towards European destinations like Switzerland, UK, Germany, UK, Austria, Italy, Croatia and France among a few others. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings says, "Indian travelers have become more experimental, and in the spirit of exploration, they are looking for longer, more expensive trips. Their quest for the newer destinations have opened new destinations such as Russia and niche destinations such as Chamonix in France. Europe is undoubtedly the most favoured destination of the season."

A wide range of cultures and traditions make the Indian population one of the most diverse in the world. And the same is reflected in our psyche. All thanks to that, the choice of travel destinations is not restricted to just part of the country. Although Europe is certainly the most favoured most favoured of them all, a few American countries are not too far behind. USA, Argentina, Ecuador and Costa Rica are among the most preferred destinations.

Going far and wideInterestingly, the many other destinations favoured by Indian travellers this summer are spread across different parts of the world, divided by oceans, islands, and continents. New Zealand, Kenya, Jordan, Morocco, Cuba, Russia and Turkey are some of the places where Indians are heading to in the summer of 2016. Also read: Actor Sidharth Malhotra talks about his leap of faith in New Zealand

Although the preference pattern among Indian travellers have seen a radical change this year, some of the all-time favourites include Singapore, Thailand, Australia and Japan.

Interest based travelTurns out, it's not just the offbeat destinations and their beauty that are prompting Indians to travel far and wide. The urban Indian is looking to spend on an experience that introduces him to a rather different level of luxury. An experience so special that he can cherish the memories for the rest of his life. We are talking about the varied interest based travel itineraries that are being focused on these days. Giving an insight of this trend, Ratti Dhodapkar, MD, Abercrombie & Kent told India Today, "Self-drive experiences are a rage among Indians these days. With cars ranging from Ferrari, Audi and Mercedes, Abercrombie & Kent provides mapped-out routes. Besides that, more and more people now prefer going out for luxury spa holidays, gourmet and wine sampling tours, world class shopping trips and cruises. 2016 is going to be more about luxury cruises and interest based holidays like adventure based vacations, food and wine tasting vacations, holidays for the art lovers, etc."

Based on the data we have acquired from Cox & Kings, Abercrombie & Kent, and Expedia India, following are the top 10 international destinations Indians are looking to go this summer: